1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interconnection assembly for electrical switchgear cells, and more specifically, to a system for coupling electrical switchgear cells or modules that can be used in electrical distribution and transformation centers. The assembly employs, in the coupling or interconnection between the cells, an independent connector element which is housed by plugging in (as an intermediate piece) into individual pans provided for this purpose in each one of the cells equipped with conductor terminals to be joined.
2. Description of the Related Art
European Patent No. 0520933 describes a coupling system for coupling switchgear modules for transformation centers and the like, based on each of the modules or cells having holes into which fit respective pans forming a gastight coupling, with the collaboration of a sealing gasket, each pan coming equipped (in its small or internal base) with a hole comprising a fixed contact terminal.
Moreover, this patent describes how with each pair of pans opposite each other and corresponding to two adjacent modules, an insulating mount collaborates, as an intermediate coupling piece, having a shape of a bi-truncated cone and which is materialized by an external insulating mount, on the entire inside. The inside has a metallic tube which runs the full length longitudinally and inside which are housed a plurality of conductive parts, in the form of fingers, intended for coupling in the appendices that constitute the contact terminals of each cell. These pieces or fingers tend to close over the contact terminals via springs or coils on the periphery.
A series of elastic bands are arranged between the conductive parts and the metallic tube on the inside of the external insulating mount that permit a certain lateral mobility of those conductive parts in order to take up possible errors of alignment between the contact terminals, either through off-centering of the pans and even of the cells that are to be coupled.